Starting from March, lobsters cooked in Switzerland will need to be knocked unconscious before they are thrown into a pot of boiling water.
And according to a new order issued by the Swiss Federal Council: “Live crustaceans, including the lobster, may no longer be transported on ice or in ice water. Aquatic species must always be kept in their natural environment. Crustaceans must now be stunned before they are killed.”
The Swiss government’s decision comes after several studies have suggested that lobsters could feel pain. RSPCA Australia says, "the available scientific evidence indicates that crustaceans may be capable of experiencing pain and suffering”.
Attitudes about how to prepare lobster are changing.
What about Australia?
Switzerland is not the first place to ban boiling live lobsters; it’s already illegal in New Zealand and in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia.
In several Australian states, including New South Wales, fish and crustaceans are included in animal cruelty laws. Last year, Sydney fishmonger Nicholas Seafoods was convicted of animal cruelty and fined $1500 for dismembering lobsters with bandsaws while the sea creatures were still alive. And, in response to the Swiss announcement, there's a push to consider a similar ban in Western Australia.
Australia-based French chef Gabriel Gaté, who has extensive experience cooking lobsters, says chefs are more frequently asking themselves if they're doing the right thing when it comes to animal welfare. “It’s best to find ways to minimise the suffering of the animal,” he tells SBS Food.
Gabriel Gaté advocates for more ethical ways of cooking lobster.
How to kill a lobster humanely
If you want to cook lobster, there are a few ways to make it more humane.
According to guidelines by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, the best method is to cut the chain of nerves running down the middle of the lobster with a sharp knife. It’s also the method favoured by Gaté, but he says it can be difficult, especially for somebody who is inexperienced.
Switzerland is not the first place to ban boiling live lobsters; it’s already illegal in New Zealand and in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia.
Devices like the Crustastun, which stuns the animal, are also recommended. But with a retail price of over $US4000, it’s not designed for home cooks.
A more accessible method is to numb the lobster prior to cooking, by chilling it in the freezer (without freezing it completely) or immersing it in a mixture of saltwater and ice slurry.
Or you could listen to RSPCA Australia’s recommendations and leave the killing to the professionals.
